Former New York Giants defensive tackle Fred Robbins, his wife Tia and their children lost everything in Gulf Breeze, Florida house fire earlier this week.
In a GoFundMe set up by Robbins’ family members and their close friend, Madrina Ciano, it was revealed that Fred and Tia woke up at 3:30 a.m. to find their home “engulfed in flames.” They were able to escape, but were unable to save any of their possessions.
Tia and Fred woke up at 3:30 am to their home engulfed in flames. Tia woke up hearing a noise coming from the roof, which sounded like someone was on the roof and it actually was the fire raging in the attic.
By the Grace of God they were able to get themselves and their two boys out safely; however, the house is a total loss. They are currently displaced.
As you can imagine, this is devastating. There wasn’t time to grab any valuables, family photos, keepsakes, or anything! This traumatic experience will live with them forever, and they have a long journey ahead to rebuild everything they’ve lost.
Currently, the GoFundMe is at just $40,193 of its $100,000 goal.
Ciano later told the Pensacola News Journal that the Robbins were able to recover their wedding rings and a Super Bowl XLII ring from the rubble, but did not disclose the condition of those items. Everything else was lost.
“It was 3:30 in the morning. They were in their PJs. They had to go buy a toothbrush and change of clothes just to make it through day one,” Ciano said. “And it’s a family of four, and they lost everything from school clothes to activities that the boys liked. I know they plucked her wedding ring out of the rubble, as well as his Super Bowl ring. But overall, it’s pretty much a total loss. So, imagine all that history.
“I don’t care if you’re a Super Bowl champ or you’re affluent, this is a lot to bounce back from and there will be a lot of immediate needs. So my intent for the fund was to allow them cash flow to meet those needs as they occurred.”
Whatever other memorabilia Fred had from his playing days also appears to have been lost.
Robbins, a second-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in the 2000 NFL draft, signed with the Giants in 2004 and spent six years with the team. He was named a Sports Illustrated All-Pro in 2008 and was, of course, a member of the magical Super Bowl XLII team.
After leaving the Giants, Robbins closed out his career with the St. Louis Rams.
